Nowadays, concepts such as the reliability and safety of goods predetermine the essence of standardization and certification. The attitude to product quality over the past decades has changed significantly, not only among ordinary consumers. In severe market conditions, the activities of any enterprise that is unable to ensure the demand for its goods or services is doomed to failure, regardless of the amount of invested funds. This is the main argument testifying in favor of the Institute of Standardization, the concept and essence of which we will try to disclose in detail in the article.
What is standardization?
This term is understood to mean the establishment and use of rules aimed at streamlining the activities of the manufacturer in a particular area. Standardization, in essence, means general provisions and norms that should benefit product quality and optimal economy. In this case, the manufacturer is not exempt from compliance with certain operating conditions and safety. Standardization is based on scientific research achievements and advanced production experience, setting directions for the successful development of industry in the future.
Technical regulation affects both the economic and social sectors of public life. Regardless of the interpretation of the concept of standardization, the essence of this integral element of the system of state regulation does not change. In whatever sphere of industry this instrument of technical regulation is used, it is impossible to achieve the required quality of products without its use. Distinguish standardization:
- traditional;
- educational;
- medical;
- social.
The provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal and municipal legislation (for example, the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Standardization”, “On Education”, “On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education”, “On the State Health Care System”, etc., are applied to enforce uniform norms and standards). ), as well as presidential decrees.
Objects of application of standards
To understand what the essence of standardization is, you need to have an idea of ​​what a standard is. This is a normative and technical document establishing a set of rules and requirements for the production of a particular product or service. Each standard is approved by the competent authorities. This is a kind of organizational and methodological instruction.
Standards are developed not only for material products, but also for rules, norms, requirements of a general technical nature. They include criteria and indicators that guarantee improved product quality and cost-effectiveness of its manufacture.
As for the standardization object, the essence of which this article is devoted to, any product, product, service, work or group of homogeneous products, production processes is assumed here. The established standards contain information about the main gradations, specific values ​​and indicators of a product, its model, brand, style, etc.
The process during which a product is produced or a specific service is provided (something is manufactured, built, grown, stored, transported, etc.) can also be the object of standardization. The essence and purpose of rationing in this case comes down to the need for technological and organizational management.
Main tasks
The standardization system in our country faces the main task - to promote the proportional development of all sectors of the economy with the help of indicators corresponding to the progressive level of Russian science and industrial technologies. The essence and objectives of standardization are as follows:
- improving the quality of work performed and manufactured products;
- providing the necessary conditions for the improvement of the design and planning stages in the production process, ensuring a reduction in the complexity and cost of manufactured goods or services;
- compliance of regulatory requirements with the criteria of products and the interests of consumers;
- creation of conditions for the development of export of high-quality products that meet international standards;
- reasonable distribution of financial funds, labor and raw materials;
- strengthening ties on international cooperation in both the economic and technical fields;
- guaranteed protection of the health of residents and the environment, the safety of workers, the availability of social insurance.

In order to achieve the set goals and objectives of standardization, the essence of which is to generalize the norms, rules and requirements for the production process and the quality of the final product, Russia is resorting to the introduction of progressive standard systems. Each of the target projects contains a number of requirements for the design, consistency, production technology, characteristics of raw materials, components. Thanks to the standards, manufacturers are able to create optimal conditions for the manufacture of products of better quality, as well as calculate all the costs and risks at the design stage.
How standards are applied in practice
The introduction of a single system consisting of rules and norms requires the use of specific control methods. In order to obtain products of reliable quality or to provide appropriate services, it is important to provide production with modern equipment and high-quality raw materials, and to send qualified specialists to carry out the work. In this case, irrational types, brands and sizes of products should be excluded from the production plan.
Along with the development of industrial unification and the re-equipment of machines, one must not forget about the importance of maintaining production efficiency and labor productivity at a decent level. That is why, in some cases, a more profitable alternative to aggregation is the repair of existing equipment, especially when it is able to provide serial production of goods that meet standard indicators.
The essence of standardization can be briefly said for unified documentation systems. The establishment of common concepts used in automated control modes, convenient classification, coding of information of technical and economic content helps simplify the organization of production and record keeping. One cannot but note the role of uniform designations and terms in the fundamental fields of science, the national economy, and software and hardware.
The course of standardization processes, the essence of which is to ensure the production of uniform standards in order to produce quality products, is monitored by the competent authorities. Moreover, in each industry, different standardization departments of central departments and ministries, head and base organizations created in the ministerial structure of several research and technical units (bureaus, laboratories, archives, warehouses, etc.) take on this function.
Principles of a single technical regulation
The essence and content of standardization is reflected in a number of its principles. These include:
- Frequency - refers to an impressive list of objects to which are applied, i.e. processes with a common property. This refers to either temporal or spatial repeatability.
- Variability - ensuring a rational variety of parts in models, series, lines of products subject to certification.
- Systematicity - it is understood that each normative rule for standardization is perceived as an independent element of the system, but at the same time connected with other elements and objects of regulation.
- Interchangeability - most often this principle applies to technology. It implies the possibility of assembling and replacing individual spare parts, regardless of the time and place of manufacture.

All these principles are reflected in the new Concept of the national standardization system. The essence of the document, adopted back in 1998, boils down to the need to ensure such a level of quality and reliability of goods that would meet the current requirements of sanitary-hygienic, environmental control and guarantee complete safety of the population.
Standardization functions
In the conditions of market relations, the ultimate goals and objectives of standardization are of great importance. The essence of regulatory regulation is to bring the production process in line with the rules and requirements established at the legislative level. Thus, standardization performs several basic functions.
First of all, it is worth noting the economic, which provides an opportunity for the parties involved to find reliable information about the product in a clear and convenient form. At the time of conclusion of the contract, it is noted that the goods (service) comply with the state standard. In this sense, rationing automatically obliges the seller to comply with these requirements and ensure that the products meet the proper level of quality.
The social function is determined by the entrepreneur’s desire for standards in the manufacture of products or the provision of services of standardized indicators of the quantity of goods whose quality does not contradict the health provisions, sanitary and hygiene requirements and safety rules in the process of their disposal.
The communicative function of standardization allows you to establish mutual understanding between the seller and the buyer through the exchange of information about the product, which requires the use of specialized terms, concepts, symbols, general rules of office work, compilation of nomenclature, etc.
Process Rationing
No less important is the standardization in the field of innovative technical developments. An analysis of international norms and regulations during the certification procedure helps to obtain reliable information about the technical equipment of products, their testing, as well as to prevent illegal duplication. The essence and significance of standardization lies in the possibility of comparing the available characteristics of the product, and this plays an important role in determining the degree of competitiveness of a product, including technical. If we talk about the standardization of technological processes, then on the one hand it is necessary for their modernization, and on the other, to increase the effectiveness of production management.

At the same time, the essence of standardization has negative consequences for technological processes. The use of regulatory provisions alone is not capable of providing the basis for an innovative breakthrough and, therefore, the achievement of leading market positions. The lack of the possibility of increasing the competitiveness of the enterprise in the long term is an obvious minus of standardization.
State standards
All standards involved in the economic sector are divided into state, specialized and production.
The first category includes GOSTs, which are developed to regulate the production process. They can also be used as instructions for the proper provision of services. Some of the GOSTs have intersectoral significance. Regardless of the scope, none of the standards should be contrary to Russian laws.
In some cases, in order to ensure the protection of state interests, there is a reasonable need to create favorable conditions for the growth of competitiveness of goods from the Russian Federation. This applies to GOSTs, which contain promising requirements and to some extent are ahead of the capabilities of modern technologies.
To reveal the essence of standardization, one should take into account the scope of the considered standards, the scope of their application, the term of introduction and the competence of the bodies by which they are adopted. GOSTs take legal force after passing the registration procedure. It implements, regulates the development procedure, applies and keeps records in the all-Russian classifier of economic and technical information, the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology.
Industry standards
These rules and regulations are developed for the goods of a particular industry. Such standards do not contradict the requirements of the main GOSTs and safety regulations used in this production area. Industry standards can be represented not only by normative documents on standardization. The essence of standardization, in addition to approved acts, is expressed in methods, processes, specifications, designations, terms.
If the standard does not apply to a certain category of goods or services, it is called general. Most often, this variety includes organizational, methodological and general technical instructions for products, the operation of which requires sorting, ensuring appropriate climatic conditions, observing safety precautions, carrying out environmental preventive actions, etc.
Depending on the type and purpose of manufactured products, it is possible to establish requirements for its strength, hardness, elasticity, wear resistance and other physicomechanical characteristics. No less important are the parameters and dimensions of the goods according to fundamental consumer preferences, which should be taken into account even at the stage of designing products of a certain brand, model.
The industry standards include the standards of test methods. Thanks to the established documents, sampling for testing is carried out in a clearly regulated manner. Methods of testing products will depend on the intended use of the products, but in any case, their choice should be justified. Ultimately, product test results should demonstrate proper product quality. Mandatory verification is subject to labeling, packaging, storage and transportation.
A separate group is the standards for the methodology of testing measuring instruments. Such standards contain information in the form of instructions for the effective implementation of verification procedures in order to obtain the most accurate and reliable results.
ISO 9000 Standards
World experience in technical quality management is briefly presented in ISO 9000 standards. The package of regulatory documents was adopted in 1987, but has since been subject to repeated updates.
ISO 9000 standards include fundamental conditions, the observance of which is mandatory to ensure quality assurance, regardless of the type of product or service provided. If the provisions of the international standard are used in the enterprise as part of the standardization system, this is perceived as a weighty argument, indicating the ability of the enterprise to independently ensure the production of goods or provide services at the proper level.

At the same time, ISO 9000 standards have distinctive nuances. In particular, these rules increase the degree of producer responsibility for the quality of the final product. The top management of the enterprise should be directly responsible for documenting the implementation and maintenance of the system of regulation and standardization. In this sense, ISO 9000 standards relate to the direct responsibilities of the leadership the selection of personnel, the provision of the necessary equipment for testing, control measurements, computer programs. The managers of the enterprise also have the obligation to establish the required level of competence, as well as timely training of employees.
findings
The essence of standardization is the development and establishment of requirements, norms, provisions, instructions, including recommended and mandatory. The application of common standards guarantees the realization of the consumer’s right to purchase products or use services of satisfactory quality at an affordable cost. , .
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The basic direction of modern domestic standardization should be to increase the level of conformity of goods and the production process to the functional purpose, the elimination of barriers in the regulatory field of international commodity exchange. The development of the industry of standardization and certification will certainly contribute to scientific and technological progress and facilitate cooperation in various fields.
The current standardization system successfully combines effective methods for assessing the quality of objects and methods for testing them with international standardization experience, the essence and content of which is reduced to strengthening ties in foreign economic activity.